News More Secret Prisons, More Torture

One wonders just how many 'get out of jail free' cards Bush has. It seems once again his administration is showing a total contempt for congress.

Isn't it time this lunatic was impeached?

Secret US memos at centre of torture allegations
Denis Staunton in Washington

Fri, Oct 05, 2007

Democrats in Congress have called on the White House to hand over two secret memos that apparently still authorise painful interrogation techniques that the administration publicly renounced three years ago.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino acknowledged that the justice department secretly issued two legal opinions on methods used to interrogate suspected terrorists but declined to say if the memos authorised practices such as head-slapping and simulated drowning.

"This country does not torture. It is a policy of the United States that we do not torture and we do not," she said.

The New York Times reported yesterday that in 2005, months after the administration declared that torture was "abhorrent" and as Congress was moving to ban some interrogation methods, the justice department issued secret memos authorising specific techniques.

The newspaper said authorisation is still in force and noted that the CIA this summer resumed interrogation of suspected terrorists in secret prisons outside the US, which had been suspended after action in Congress and the courts.
(cont'd)

A Republican president stole American arms from our arsenals and sold them to Iran (a clear case of treason) to get money to fund a private war in Nicaragua that Congress refused to allow. He has an airport named for him. A Democratic president had an affair with an aide, and was impeached. Bush will probably get a monument on the mall.

A Republican president stole American arms from our arsenals and sold them to Iran (a clear case of treason) to get money to fund a private war in Nicaragua that Congress refused to allow. He has an airport named for him. A Democratic president had an affair with an aide, and was impeached. Bush will probably get a monument on the mall.

I think the problem with Reagan was Bush Sr. I doubt that Reagan knew anything about it until he froze on camera when given the question.

In any case, torture is a concern in a league of its own, and support for this among Americans literally sickens me and makes me embarrassed to be an American. Yesterday I watched some cold-hearted ***** from the department of Homeland Security defend the use of torture on CNN. I was waiting for her to sprout horns and a tail.

There are a few people - old friends and family - who are no longer welcome in my house because of this.

Diana West from the Washington Times was just defending the use of torture on Lou Dobbs. Interestingly, she specified that it is okay to use on "terrorism suspects". So, since not all suspects are guilty, by default, she is okay with torturing innocent people.

We have already moved past the "terrorist who knows where a nuclear bomb is planted" scenario, which until now was used as a red herring. In that event, btw, it is the duty of an officer to fall on his sword and do what is needed, so we already have this covered.

We are only one step from the logic of torturing murder suspects etc. And by default, this is one logical step from torturing innocent people - US citizens - on a daily basis.

I will add this and then have to get out of this before my head explodes: AFAIC, anyone who supports the use of torture is a coward, and a disgrace to everything that we have tried to be. This sort of activity is what used to DEFINE the enemy. So let's be clear: You are destroying America.

"What is the greatest threat facing us now? People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No.... Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing?" - Colin Powell

What the hell happened to this country? One attack and we turn into Nazis?

this (situation) is potentially worse than the Nazi.

When the Nazi were doing their dirty stuffs, other countries (from the coalition of willing) at least condemned those behaviors. Now, not just none of these countries've condemned this madness, countries that do dare to comment run the risk of being branded as "extremists", "rogue states" or "anti-west".

Huh? Secret memos can be used for the sake of evil, but they are also a necessary tool for the sake of good. If you are outraged over the contents of some secret memos, then direct your outrage at the contents. :tongue: